NHS maintenance costs reduced by £1bn but backlog of work remains

COSTS for maintenance on NHS buildings were reduced from over £1billion by £62million in 2011.

PROGRESS has been made on improving hospital buildings across Scotland but the NHS estate maintenance backlog remains high, according to a new report.

Backlog maintenance costs were reduced from over £1billion by £62million in 2011, according to the State of the NHS: Scotland Assets and Facilities Report 2012.

The report estimates that the base cost of bringing the parts of the health service's £4.6billion estate back into good condition now stands at £948million.

About 27 per cent of the estate requires investment to improve its condition while 3.0 per cent has been rated as unsatisfactory and requiring major investment or replacement.

Although there has been substantial capital funding put into the estate over recent years, 26 per cent of buildings are currently more than 50 years old and a further 29 per cent are over 30 years old.

The maintenance backlog includes more than £360million of work needed in non-medical areas and buildings for sale which do not impact on patients, and a backlog of £407million which has been assessed as high or significant risk.

Health boards will address high and significant risk backlog maintenance in clinical areas over the next five years.

Health Secretary Alex Neil said: "This report will help us to improve Scotland's hospitals - and patients will see the benefits of new facilities across all areas, renovations to existing buildings and new, modern equipment.

"Last year, for the first time ever, we got a detailed account of the ongoing maintenance work needed on the NHS estate.

"This allowed health boards to continue to put in place action plans to maintain our NHS buildings and in the last year alone backlog maintenance has been reduced by £62million.

"Over the next five years boards will work to clear high and significant risk backlog in clinical areas altogether.

"It is important that care settings are suitable for our patients - that is why we are investing more than ever in the NHS Scotland estate."

This year's report builds on a 2011 report on the NHS estate and has been extended to include medical equipment, fleet and IT.

It also found that 32 per cent of NHS medical equipment is more than seven years old and likely to be approaching the end of its operational life.